CFLBIKE I'm 61 and have been bike commuting for 30 years. Currently I have a wide ratio 1x7, a wide ratio 2x6, a wide ratio 2x9 and extremely wide ratio 3x7 and a close-ratio 2x10. Here in hilly Colorado Springs the wide ratios work better for me. I used to be a low-cadence "masher", but the older I get, the more I spin up hills. I don't ride competitively, or for extreme speed.

The highest and lowest gear ratios of the 2x6 and 2x9 are similar, and on the 2x6, I've never thought I need an intermediate gear.

My only bike I feel has a gap in the gearing is the 1x7 The upper 6 gears are spaced just right for cruising. But there is a big drop to the very low "granny gear". First gear is perfect for very steep hills. It's the moderate hills where I either have to spin very fast in 1st, or muscle the bike up in a slightly too-high gear. I picked up the bike (a 20" folder) a couple of years ago and needed higher and lower gearing and for the budget I set for the bike, this was the best solution.

On the 2x10 I would like some lower gearing, and I think a smaller small chainring up front would do it.

I will also mention that with all the hills I feel that shifting through 10 gears to get from low to high is a bit much.

If I don't feel any difference between the 2x6 and 2x9, I doubt the difference between a 2x8 and a 2x10 with a similar top and bottom will make a big difference, unless you ride in the flat lands and can hold the same gear for long periods. Then the "fine-tuning" may be more important.

(I just had to correct myself. I thought my 2x9 was a 2x8 and I just rode it to work and back today. After a certain point I loose track.)